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There has been a lot talk concerning our defense. I for one think (and I hope is true) is that coach has not shown much because there really has not been a need to with this offensive line. They have shown they can pretty much score at will and looking back at the final scores in most games have had more than enough points to win. Granted there were a few nailbiters along the way, but defense has stepped up when needed. Brady in the clutch as we all know is also a huge factor. Was Belichick saving it for the playoffs as another weapon for the playoffs thinking we might end up with Indy? Does anyone else feel this might be the case? I'm thinking the defense will now show up huge.

I doubt he shows much of anything defensively until the most critical times. When BB and RAC faced the "unstoppable" Colts in the '04 Divisional Round (in Jan of '05, with Gay at CB instead of Ty Law), Brady said that he knew Peyton was in for a long day when he saw what the D had in store. They had played it close to the vest all year until it was time to put the cards on the table. I'm thinking that that is the case this year too. The only caveat is that BB probably has felt that they'd be facing the Colts again. Now those schemes are going to be foisted upon Prince Philip at the most innoportune time. Good luck.

I don't really have time to find that article--and wouldn't even know where to begin, because I can't remember who wrote it--but someone posited the theory that the Patriots have run a vanilla defense for almost the entrity of the second half of the season as well as the JAX game. When you think about it, the defense hasn't blitzed much and been in very conservative formations for most of the year. When the Giants held a 12 point lead, you saw the defense open up, start blitzing more and they shut Eli down. Ditto the JAX game, they started blitzing more in the second half, putting more pressure on Garrard and only surrendered 6 points in the 2nd half.

One could say this is a result of an older linebacking core (coaches saving the blitzes and exotic defensive packages for the 2nd half, when they theoretically mean more), but I think we see a different Pats defense this week. With LdT, Rivers and Gates hobbled, I think we see a ton of blitzes, and a defense that is very physical throughout the game.

If we don't see this--and the Patriots still win--then I might be a little worried for the Super Bowl. I think if the defense, in fact, cannot handle a full all-out game like what we saw in the 4th quarter of the Giants game then either NFC opponent would present a huge challenge.

I am sure that Belichick sat down after the Colts AFGCG loss and tried to figure out how to prevent it from happening again. I think "60 minutes" and the defensive style which has lead to fourth quarter shutdown of the otehr team is the result.

I think it will be much like last week. Fairly vanilla for the 1st half or so, just to see what the Chargers have in store for us.

I'd imagine very little blitzing etc until the second half. That lets us rest, and adjust to what the Chargers have planned. Chargers probably score 14-17 in the first half and 3-7 in the second half or so.

Bill Belichick likes to play one kind of defense in the first part of the game (could be first half, first 3 quarters, whatever he decides) then play a defense that looks like the original defense, but isn't. Imagine if you were a QB, and for 3 quarters a specific type of pass has been there. Then, in the 4th quarter, the Patriots start jumping that route, leaving something else open. Would you be able to identify it right away, or would you go back to that same type of pass over and over expecting it to work because it had been working for the whole game?

[I think we see a ton of blitzes, and a defense that is very physical throughout the game.

I agree completly. Of the two remaining games I would have to say this is the tougher of them. I'm not dissing Gb but I feel very confident that the defense can handle them quite nicely. Anothe poster said: That Belichick runs a certain D for the first half or so, then runs something else for the 3rd to the 4th quarter to really confuse the other team. I agree with this aspect also. As I said in my initial post though, I doubt the coach has shown what he really wants yet and will shut them down easily. JMO.

If we don't see this--and the Patriots still win--then I might be a little worried for the Super Bowl. I think if the defense, in fact, cannot handle a full all-out game like what we saw in the 4th quarter of the Giants game then either NFC opponent would present a huge challenge.

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I disagree with this aspect of what you wrote. My take is, with SD banged up as they are, my guess is that BB might wait another game to "unleash the hounds". It could be they still play it fairly close to the vest against the Chargers, then really mix it up in the SB, especially if they play GB and they have a very experienced QB.

I disagree with this aspect of what you wrote. My take is, with SD banged up as they are, my guess is that BB might wait another game to "unleash the hounds". It could be they still play it fairly close to the vest against the Chargers, then really mix it up in the SB, especially if they play GB and they have a very experienced QB.

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You could be right there. I was thinking more along the lines of 'come out with guns blazing' to completely dismantle an already beaten up team, then scale back as necessary dependant upon the score. That said, another vanilla first half wouldn't be the worst thing, now that I'm thinking about it--because of the Chargers injuries, as you mentioned.

i think schemes are overrated especially at this time of the season. team which can execute and make less mistakes will win as cliched as it sounds. i doubt BB hid something intentionally otherwise the statue of liberty play on offense for e.g wasnt really necesary to 'show' against the jags. he will do what it takes to win the game

In the last 2 games the pats have produced interceptions at critical moments. I watched the NFL network re-broadcast of the jags game. After Garrard throws the interception, he says (in the little pop-up interview window at the bottom of the screen) that the pats had been defending him one way all day, but on rodney's interception, the defense showed one thing but did another resulting in the interception.

There's a huge benefit to being able to adjust at the right time. Turn overs at the beginning of the game don't necessarily break your back - see GB/Seattle. the past 2 weeks turn overs have been critical in putting the game almost out of reach for the opponent.

And I don't see this as a turn it on/turn it off thing for the pats as both the "off" and the "on" are intentional. it's their tactic (i hope ).

There has been a lot talk concerning our defense. I for one think (and I hope is true) is that coach has not shown much because there really has not been a need to with this offensive line.

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They've been playing a conservative defense, particularly in the first half of games. Maybe they tighten up on the receivers, I thought they would have fro the Jags game, but who is to argue with the soft zone that has so far produced 17 straight wins, and 17 straight confused and angry QBs in the 4th quarter. The play it soft & adjust strategy has got them this far. It's no surprise, look back at all the games, how many games did the defense step it up and come up with a game-ending pick, turnover or stop in the 4th? All the tight games, they came through.

In the last 2 games the pats have produced interceptions at critical moments. I watched the NFL network re-broadcast of the jags game. After Garrard throws the interception, he says (in the little pop-up interview window at the bottom of the screen) that the pats had been defending him one way all day, but on rodney's interception, the defense showed one thing but did another resulting in the interception.

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He actually said that the Patriots showed them a defense on that play that they had never seen before so they had not prepared for it. That's a bigger deal than just changing up defenses because it shows they still have tricks up their sleeves.

It also impressed me that Garrard was that prepared that he understood all of this without having to go back and watch the film.

Bill Belichick likes to play one kind of defense in the first part of the game (could be first half, first 3 quarters, whatever he decides) then play a defense that looks like the original defense, but isn't. Imagine if you were a QB, and for 3 quarters a specific type of pass has been there. Then, in the 4th quarter, the Patriots start jumping that route, leaving something else open. Would you be able to identify it right away, or would you go back to that same type of pass over and over expecting it to work because it had been working for the whole game?

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Agree with that 100%. Did anybody hear David Garrard talk about his interception after the game. He said that the play was there all day and Rodney was never in that position. However, for some reason, on that pay, Rodney was there and picked the pass off. That is what the Patriots do. People keep saying they play a very vanilla defense, and they do. However, they get you believing you are in the game when in reality, you are not even in the ballpark.